Avaricious
by SuzukiChiyeko
Summary: Misaki's father has lost his job and has a hard time finding a new one. The Takahashi family is losing hope, until Misaki gets the opportunity to work for the Usami family, but what will his task be? How will Misaki deal with the two avaricious sons? Romantica & Poetica. Rated M for adult themes.
1. No more choices

**Welp, I guess it's time for me to start writing this story. This is dedicated to my dear loyal reader usamiftw.**

**AU alert: Misaki is actually ten years older in this. Basically, Akihiko is 17 and Misaki is 16. Everyone else is of normal age, but Misaki is older (in comparison). Also, Misaki's father is still alive, but his mother died in the car accident.  
**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Junjou Romantica T^T**

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**Chapter 1 – No more choices**

"It's useless, Tanaka-san," the raven haired man said through the phone, looking down at the bill on the coffee table, "If I can't find myself a proper job, there won't be enough money to pay our bills and buy food."

Takahashi Akinori, a man with two hard-working sons, was losing faith. After losing his job as a driver, he hadn't been capable of getting himself a new place to work at. It appeared that there was not a single company or family in Japan that needed a driver, and without other proper education it wasn't easy finding something else.

Tanaka, the butler who worked for the wealthy Usami family, was a good friend of Akinori, and they called each other occasionally. Raking his fingers through his hair, he emitted a soft sigh.

"Akinori-san," he spoke, a bit too politely to his friend's liking, "You cannot give up now. Besides, your sons both a jobs as well, correct?"

"They do, but there's no way their earnings will be enough to pay for everything." Akinori scratched the back of his head, furrowing his brows in thought. "Takahiro is working as an assistant at a consulting firm, and Misaki works as a waiter at a café."

Hearing this sparked the butler's interest. "Is Misaki-kun a sociable person?"

"Oh yes! He is a very kind boy and he easily gets along with others. It's not hard for him to make friends, and he's always willing to help people out. Really, he is very loved at the café and at school." Despite his enthusiasm, Akinori felt sadness overwhelm him again. "Unfortunately, Misaki isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, so he can't find a better job."

There was a moment of silence as Akinori slowly grew more and more depressed, worrying about his current situation. It was selfish of him to rely on his sons, but it was impossible to get a proper job. How could he make sure that they wouldn't end up losing all they had?

After debating with himself, Tanaka finally spoke again. "Listen, Akinori-san," he said in a serious voice, "I might be able to find a better job for your son. Once my master has returned, I will talk to him and discuss the matter."

At Tanaka's mysterious promise, Akinori cocked an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind, Tanaka-san?"

"You will see, my good friend. I'll contact you later. Goodbye, and keep looking."

Slowly, the corners of Akinori's lips curved upwards. "I will," he replied softly, "Thank you." When his friend had ended the call, Akinori sat down on the couch and stared at the wall clock, wondering what Tanaka could possibly do to help him out.

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"I'm sorry for the wait! Here's your omelet rice." Smiling broadly, Misaki gently placed the plate onto the table, some chocolate strands of hair falling into his eyes.

"It's fine, Misaki-kun," the young redhead assured, waving her hand in emphasis, "You seem very busy today. I admire your diligence." The girl smiled as she felt the steam on her face, savoring the fine smell of her food.

"The café seems to become more popular. I'm really glad." Misaki's eyes studied the many customers sitting at the tables. Boys and girls his age were chatting vocally, enjoying a cool drink or a delicious treat. It was somewhat heart-warming to see so many people there. The only downfall was that these cheerful students were just like pigs, throwing everything onto the floor and spilling their drinks frequently.

As the door opened, a tall brown-haired man entered the café. Pushing up his glasses, he looked around to find an empty seat, clearly not noticing that he was earning some very questioning looks from other customers. Misaki couldn't blame them though; the stranger looked as if he came from a very rich family. The man wore an expensive-looking dark brown suit and a navy tie, something way too formal for the casual café.

Without any hesitance, Misaki walked over to the table the stranger had picked and greeted him with a sweet, welcoming smile.

"Welcome," he chirped, looking into the man's narrow gray eyes, "What can I get you?"

The mysterious customer stared at Misaki for a while, as if he was thoroughly studying the friendly teen in front of him, and then took a look at the menu lying on the table. After clearing his throat, he glanced back at the waiter. "I would like a coffee, no sugar or cream."

Misaki had to suppress the urge to raise an eyebrow, and then looked out of the window. It was warm and sunny outside, the perfect weather for soda or something to cool down. He could understand why people would want omelet rice, but coffee? Whoever this guy was, he was pretty weird.

Realizing that he had been too caught up in his thoughts, Misaki gave a quick nod. "Will that be all?" he asked politely, not sure how to talk to this high-class customer.

"Yes." It took only one word for the young teen to turn around and swiftly walk away, wiping some beads of sweat off his forehead. Misaki didn't know why, but talking to the guy made him feel very nervous and uneasy, as if he was bound to do something stupid in front of the man.

As he passed the order to his co-worker, the blond stared at the stranger.

"Who's that?" he asked in a skeptical voice, "He doesn't look like he belongs here."

Misaki shrugged. "I don't know who he is. Honestly, I've never seen him before." He tugged at his own sleeve, smoothing the fabric. Since the brunet often talked to the customers, it was easy for him to memorize who had been at the café before. Needless to say, Misaki had no idea who the new guy was, but he would try to find out.

Glancing over his shoulder, Misaki noticed that the man was still looking at him, studying his appearance. While the teen was sure that he meant no harm, it was making him feel very uncomfortable, and he could feel his face heat up as those eyes practically stripped him.

Shaking his head, he looked back at his co-worker, who was making the man's coffee. 'Why am I feeling so nervous?' Misaki asked himself, 'Is it simply because he's so wealthy-looking? I can't judge him unless I get to know him a little, right?' With that in mind, Misaki gathered all his courage and told himself to go have a chat with the stranger.

"The coffee's done," the blond said, handing the beverage to Misaki, "You should take a break after working so hard. It's okay if you leave early today; you've really outdone yourself."

Although Misaki didn't want to leave early—he had to work hard to earn the money his family needed—he nodded in agreement, knowing that Eita wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Eita was a good friend and cared a lot about Misaki, being constantly worried about his situation at home and his health.

With the coffee in his right hand, Misaki strode past the other tables until he was right next to the mysterious brunet again. He carefully put the saucer down, a hardly audible sound elicited by the contact with the smooth surface of the table, and then looked at the customer with friendly bright eyes.

"Here's your coffee," he spoke softly, realizing that this man didn't like noise like most customers did, and waited.

Gray eyes darted to the cup of coffee, a large hand carefully lifting it and bringing the white porcelain to his lips and taking a sip. His eyes closed as soft slurping sounds came from his mouth, and then put the cup down again. His eyes once again met a dashing shade of emerald.

Misaki realized that he had been awkwardly staring at his customer and quickly bowed, his face reddening in embarrassment. "My name is Takahashi Misaki," he stammered, "What's your name?"

"Usami Haruhiko."

"I've never seen you here before. Is this your first time here?"

"Yes," Haruhiko replied, adjusting his glasses as he kept staring at Misaki.

Dumbfounded, the teen stared back, feeling even more uncomfortable than before. This guy…wasn't exactly talkative, was he? It was going to be harder than Misaki thought to have a decent conversation.

"Sit down," the older one ordered, pointing towards the seat on the other side of the table.

Misaki snapped out of his thoughts and blinked in surprise, but did as he was told. Trembling slightly, he took the seat and looked up to meet the other's gaze again.

"So…why have you decided to visit this place all of a sudden?" he asked, his tone uncertain and careful. Normally, Misaki wouldn't be so scared to ask his customers questions, but Haruhiko's aura was rather intimidating. Then, he noticed the expensive watch around the other's wrist, and concluded that this man was indeed very wealthy.

Haruhiko looked to his left, gazing out of the window for a few seconds, as if there was something there that would provide him an answer. "I just wanted to try it," he finally said, "It appeared that people seem to like this place, so I decided to check it out."

"What do you think?" Misaki's curiosity was rising, even though he wasn't aware of this.

"It looks like a cozy place, but it's too noisy and crowded in here."

"Well, it's exceedingly crowded today," Misaki admitted, tracing circles on the table with his fingers, "It's usually pretty quiet in here, especially on weekdays."

Drinking his coffee, Haruhiko showed his interest by staring intensely at the boy. "Aren't you still in high school?"

"Ah—yes, but my family desperately needs more money. My father lost his job a few months ago, and it's hard for him to find a new job. That's why my brother and I are trying hard to earn the money we need." Although Misaki was a little ashamed to tell this to a complete stranger, he somehow started to get the feeling that Haruhiko wasn't a bad guy. True, the man didn't look very friendly, but there was something about him…something Misaki couldn't ignore.

Haruhiko had finished his cup of coffee and put it down. "How much for the coffee?" he asked, digging into his pockets to get his wallet.

"Oh, that will be 280 yen, please," Misaki answered as he rose from the bench, surprised by Haruhiko's sudden question. Had he said something to displease or offend the man? He was even more surprised when Haruhiko gave him 500 yen. With wide eyes, he stared at the other.

"Keep the change," Haruhiko said dryly.

"B-but this is way too mu—"

"Just keep it."

Misaki could feel his heart skip a beat as he accepted the money. "Thank you very much!" he said gratefully, bowing deeply as his face lit up once again. Haruhiko was so generous! He surely hadn't seen that coming at all. "P-please come again."

Haruhiko simply nodded in reply and walked out, leaving the overjoyed boy by himself. When Misaki finally managed to stand up straight, he walked to the locker room to change to his normal attire, deciding to go home like Eita had told him. Wriggling out of his uniform, he grabbed his striped jacket and jeans and put them on. It had been a tiring day, but at least he had managed to meet new people.

Checking his cell phone, Misaki noticed that he had received a new text message from his father. It read that Akinori had a surprise for Misaki and was hoping that he could come home early.

'It must be really important,' the brunet told himself, knowing that his dad hardly got so excited. Wasting no more time, Misaki put his uniform back into the locker and dashed out, running back home as fast as he could.

Little did he know that his father's surprise would change his life forever.

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**Believe it or not, but this is going to be a high school romance story. You'll see that later, I promise.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. A new chance

**I was really hoping that it wouldn't take so long to update this story, but shit happens...every once in a while.**

**Thanks to everyone who is supporting this story. I'm happy that people like it so far :)**

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**Chapter 2 – A new chance**

Akinori was pacing back and forth, waiting impatiently for Misaki to come home. He was excited about telling Misaki the news, but at the same time he was rather nervous as well. It also didn't help that Takahiro, who had overheard the conversation Akinori was having with Fuyuhiko, seemed to be against the idea. Still, the raven haired teen couldn't find the willpower to protest; he knew that they didn't have much of a choice.

Silently, Takahiro walked towards the kitchen to prepare everything for tonight's dinner. "You said that Usami-san will be joining us for dinner?" Takahiro recalled questioningly, catching his father's attention. Akinori gave a quick nod as he suddenly dashed up the stairs, only to return a few seconds later with his cell phone in his hand. He sighed as he noticed that Misaki hadn't replied to his text message and looked over to his oldest son.

"Do you think that he'll be back in time?"

Takahiro flashed a soothing smile. "Don't worry dad. I'm sure he'll be here any minute." Washing the rice, Takahiro frowned. "I can't believe we'll be serving such an important man something as simple as curry rice."

Akinori chuckled softly and turned around. "Fuyuhiko-san is aware of our situation, Takahiro," he explained as he retrieved some plates from a cupboard, "He won't be complaining about the quality of the food."

Just as Takahiro was about to reply, the front door swung open. "I'm home!" a voice sounded through the apartment and the two easily recognized it as Misaki's voice. Akinori hurried to the hallway to greet his youngest son.

"Welcome back, Misaki. How was work?"

A smile played on the brunet's lips. "It was really crowded today, so that's a good sign," Misaki replied enthusiastically, "There was also a really nice guy who left me a tip."

"That's good to hear. Now, about the surprise…" Akinori tried to calm himself as he walked towards the living room with Misaki. As the two sat down, a large grin appeared on his face. "I can get you a better job, Misaki. You will be working for the Usami family, one of the wealthiest families in Japan. Fuyuhiko-san will be coming over this evening to talk things through with you."

Misaki wasn't sure if he had to be happy or concerned, but at that moment he was too shocked by the sudden news to think straight. "Wait, what? T-this evening? Do you mean that he'll be here soon?"

Akinori smiled and nodded. "If I'm not wrong, he said he'd be here at six." He followed Misaki's gaze as it wandered off to the clock and noticed how those emerald orbs widened in horror. Then, the brunet ran towards the kitchen to help Takahiro.

With a chuckle, Akinori walked over to a window to look outside, and he was surprised to see an expensive-looking black car in front of his house. Apparently, Fuyuhiko was the kind of man to arrive too early, but this didn't bother Akinori in the slightest. In a swift movement, he made his way to the front door, opening up to greet the Usami and his driver.

"Good evening, Fuyuhiko-san," he spoke politely, bowing deeply as the slightly older man approached him. Fuyuhiko had a bright, yet modest smile plastered on his face as he saw this warm welcome. He waved at the driver, an order to stay inside the car for the time being.

"Akinori-san, I'm delighted that you have agreed to my proposal. Now I hope that your son is willing to take the job offer as well." Following the father of the Takahashis, he entered the cozy apartment and took off his shoes on the genkan, carefully placing them next to the other pairs. While he wasn't used to such common courtesies, he respected the wishes of the family. After all, a reputable man like him had to maintain his image.

The sweet and spicy smell of curry greeted the older man's olfactory organ, and Fuyuhiko sat down at a chair at the head of the table. Akinori took the seat across from him.

"My sons are preparing dinner together," Akinori explained, his eyes darting to the two young men in the kitchen, "It seems as though it will be served soon."

Fuyuhiko glanced over his shoulders, following the other's gaze. "I'm impressed that both of your children are capable of doing housework. To be honest, my sons aren't even allowed into the kitchen, and they've never ever cleaned their own rooms. They could surely learn a lot from Misaki-kun."

"Well, Misaki and Takahiro both have got years of experience," Akinori said, laughing softly, even though the reason for this wasn't pleasant at all. His gaze saddened as he lowered his voice. "Ever since their mother passed away, they have been doing all the work around the house. Even now that I don't have a job, they still refuse to let me help them out."

Upon hearing about the mother's death, Fuyuhiko's eyes narrowed. "What happened to her?" he asked carefully, speaking as softly as Akinori.

"When Misaki was eight years old, his mother and I had to go on an important trip. Unfortunately, Misaki caught a cold and ended up getting a fever, so we were reluctant to leave him. In the end, Misaki told us to go, and we tried to return home as quickly as possible." Taking a deep breath, Akinori stared into his son's direction lifelessly. "When we were on our way back, it suddenly started to rain, and because the road was slippery we ended up in a car accident. According to Takahiro, his mother and I were taken to the hospital immediately."

"How did your sons find out?"

Akinori shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I suppose someone called them after the accident, and he and Misaki went to the hospital as fast as they could…despite Misaki's fever. Honestly, I don't know a lot about the accident, because I ended up in a coma. My wife passed away while I was still unconscious, which left my boys with no one to care for them. According to Takahiro, Misaki was heartbroken and depressed, constantly feeling guilty for his mother's death."

Fuyuhiko looked at the young brunet again, studying his happy expression. This boy…he had such a dark, sad past, and yet he managed to smile and hum as though nothing was wrong. For some reason, he began to believe that Misaki was indeed a suitable candidate for the job.

"Excuse me, Fuyuhiko-san," Akinori said a little louder, "Are you still listening?"

"Yes, I'm sorry…I got distracted." Fuyuhiko's gaze returned to the man again. "What happened after you regained consciousness?"

"Well, of course my children were very relieved that they didn't lose their father as well, and most things went back to normal. They missed their mother, but other than that we managed to get over everything and move on…except for Misaki. Although he never showed it to me, I've always known that his guilt was killing him inside, and I tried everything to make him believe that it wasn't his fault. Yet…he still blames himself for everything and that has changed him."

There was a silence as Akinori looked down to the table, unable to utter another word. Fuyuhiko noticed his discomfort and decided to keep silent as well. Their attention was caught by a loud voice exclaiming that the food was ready. Takahiro and Misaki then brought everything to the dining table, took off their aprons and sat down.

"I must say that it smells delicious and it looks great too," Fuyuhiko praised the two.

"Thank you!" the two brothers said in unison before digging in. The Usami couldn't help but smile as he noticed how close the two Takahashis were—completely the opposite of his own children. As everyone started to eat, he kept his eyes on Misaki, who was enjoying his meal without a care in the world.

'I wonder if he can help,' Fuyuhiko thought as he took a bite. There was only one way to find out, so Fuyuhiko cleared his throat and put his spoon down. "Misaki-kun, I would like to offer you a job at the Usami Estate," the man spoke in a clear voice. Normally, he would've addressed any potential employees by their surname, but it would be too confusing with the other Takahashi brother around.

Large green eyes darted up as Misaki swallowed his food. "What kind of job do you have in mind, Usami-san?" he asked carefully. In all honesty, Misaki was kind of nervous to hear what his task would be. After all, the Usami family was rich, so he could get any kind of job.

"It has something to do with family bonding." At this, the young brunet looked up and blinked in surprise, not entirely understanding what Fuyuhiko meant. "Your father has told me that you can easily befriend others, so perhaps you could try to improve other people's relationships as well."

"Do you…have family issues, Usami-san?"

"I'd rather not talk too much about my own family right now, if you don't mind. However, I do want to give you some information on the job. First of all, if you accept my offer, you agree that you will be staying at the Usami Estate until your services are no longer needed. You will get your own room and you're still allowed to go to school and your part-time job. Your pay will be 500,000 yen per month and—"

"¥500,000?!" Misaki cut him off, taken aback by the amount of money Fuyuhiko was offering him. It sure was a lot of money, especially since Misaki didn't have any proper education aside from high school.

Fuyuhiko nodded calmly and continued. "The money will be credited automatically to your father's bank account, unless you have any objections."

Wide-eyed, Misaki stared at the man in disbelief. The job offer sounded way too good to be true, but then again…Fuyuhiko knew that they needed the money. He looked as his father, who had a wide smile plastered on his face while he gazed at the head of the Usami family. By then, Misaki understood that he couldn't refuse; he would disappoint his entire family if he would, and it would seem selfish.

"Misaki-kun, what do you think of my offer?" Kind grey eyes studied the young brunet carefully, and Fuyuhiko smiled when a few soft words of approval came from Misaki's lips. After finishing his food, Fuyuhiko rose from his seat and watched as Takahiro started clearing the table. Just when Misaki was about to help his brother, Fuyuhiko placed a large hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to look at him.

"What is it, Usami-san?" he questioned.

"Please go pack your stuff so we can go to the Usami Estate. My driver is waiting in the car outside, so please come when you're ready to go." With that, Fuyuhiko turned around to talk to Akinori some more, and Misaki climbed the stairs and made his way to his bedroom. After finding himself a large bag which was lying purposelessly under his bed, he packed everything he needed. Aside from the most important things, he also packed an old volume of his favorite manga and then proceeded putting everything in the bag.

'It's all happening so fast,' Misaki thought as he threw the bag over his shoulder, 'I wonder what the Usami Estate looks like. It must be a very large place.' Thinking about this made him feel rather sad. It would probably take a while to get used to the new environment and he was sure that he was going to miss his own family.

"Misaki, are you almost done?" Akinori asked as he knocked on the bedroom door, "Don't make Fuyuhiko-san wait too long, okay?"

"Ah—I'm ready, dad!" Misaki replied as he opened the door and dashed out, nearly tackling his father as he did so. Swiftly, he made his way downstairs and put on his shoes and coat, glancing over his shoulder to meet Takahiro's gaze. Brown eyes looked rather sad, even though Takahiro was smiling.

"I'm going to miss you, Misaki," the older brother said, throwing his arms around the younger one.

"Nii-chan, don't be like that. I promise I'll stay in touch with you." After releasing himself from the other's tight embrace, Misaki bid his family goodbye and walked out of the apartment, instantly spotting a flashy-looking car on the other side of the road. As he approached the car, the driver took his luggage and opened the car door so he could take a seat in the back, next to Fuyuhiko.

The driver walked to the front of the car and took the driver's seat, putting on his seatbelt while he started the vehicle. He then glanced at Fuyuhiko, who gave him a sign that they were ready to leave, and the car drove off.

"Now then…" Fuyuhiko started as his gaze returned to Misaki, "Since you will be working for me it's time to tell you something about my family. I have two sons and they are both very different. My oldest son is Haruhiko, who is currently 19 years old and he's an architecture student. Akihiko, my second son, turned 17 last month and will be in his final year of high school once spring break is over. Their personalities and interests aren't alike at all, which may be the reason why the two of them don't get along well."

Misaki nodded in understanding while he imagined what Haruhiko and Akihiko would be like. He had never understood how siblings could not get along; he and Takahiro never fought about anything.

"It is your task to strengthen the bond my sons share and make them get along with one another. I've tried to do so for many years, but it appears that my methods aren't very effective." Fuyuhiko scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly as though he were embarrassed, but then turned serious again. "I hate to admit it, but Haruhiko and Akihiko can't stand each other."

"Why not?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out for years, but they won't talk to me about it." A loud sigh came from the older man's lips. "I was ready to give up when your father told me about your talent."

Misaki blushed. "I wouldn't call it a talent, really. I'm simply used to talking to people and socializing."

"It surely will prove useful though," Fuyuhiko decided, turning his head to gaze out of the window, "I hope that you can become friends with my boys, Misaki-kun. They can be hard to deal with, but I'm sure that you'll do just fine."

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the two as Misaki looked down at his hands. All of a sudden, he felt the many responsibilities that he carried with him now that he had promised to help the Usami family. It was making him indescribably nervous and a tad scared. What if he couldn't do it? What if he was only going to disappoint Fuyuhiko?

"Misaki-kun?" The brunet looked up to see a pair of friendly eyes gaze at him softly. He bit his lip, trying to hide his worry, but his mask wasn't good enough to hide his true feelings. A gentle smile crossed Fuyuhiko's face. "Don't worry, I know that you will get there eventually. There's no need to rush it."

Although the words were simple and rather clichéd, they did a lot to reassure Misaki. Bright emerald orbs sparkled faintly as the corners of Misaki's lips curved upwards. "Thank you, Usami-san."

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**Now you know what Misaki's 'job' is going to be. I'm sure he'll do just fine, right?**

**Or not...**

**Thanks for reading and please review ^_^  
**


	3. Familiar faces

**Hello readers! :) I know my profile says that I'm currently busy, but I managed to find some time to finish this _damn_ chapter! I really don't know why it took so long to write it D:**

**I hope you'll like it!**

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**Chapter 3 – Familiar faces  
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Misaki couldn't utter a single word as he stared at the building, jaw dropping at the immensity of what Fuyuhiko called 'home'. This wasn't a house, not even a manor; it could have belonged to a royal family!

Fuyuhiko ignored the astonishment reflected in Misaki eyes and slowly walked to the front door. "Are you coming, Misaki-kun?"

"Y-yes, I'm sorry!" Misaki quickly apologized, speed walking to where the older man was standing. All the while, he kept looking around at the greenery of the huge front yard, still not believing that he was really there.

"Welcome back, Fuyuhiko-sama," a black haired butler spoke in a gentle voice, bowing in front of the Usami. Fuyuhiko just gave him a small nod and then turned around to glance at Misaki.

"Take good care of him," Fuyuhiko ordered before entering the manor.

Blinking in surprise, Misaki watched as the man with black hair approached him and bowed. "You must be Misaki-sama. I'm the butler of this house."

"Sebastian?" the brunet asked instantly, the name popping up in his head as soon as he heard the word 'butler'.

"No, my name is Tanaka," the other replied with a soft laugh, "I've prepared a room for you to stay. Please follow me." He nodded at the driver who had taken Misaki's luggage, and then slowly walked inside. Misaki followed him without further protest, his eyes scanning the room thoroughly.

Reaching the first floor, Tanaka glanced over his shoulder to check if Misaki was still following him. He smiled at the teen and took another step forward. [1]

"We are almost there, Misaki-sama."

"T-Tanaka-san, I really don't think you have to be so formal," Misaki replied shyly, feeling a little flustered. No one had ever treated him with so much respect, and he had to admit that it wasn't something he wanted either. He was just an ordinary teenager, a commoner, so why did Tanaka have to treat him like he did?

'It's probably just a rule for butlers,' Misaki said to himself, 'Still, it makes me feel pretty uneasy.'

"Misaki…kun," Tanaka managed to say, his tone indicating that it was awkward for him, "This will be your room." He held the door open, allowing Misaki to take a peek, and once again the boy's jaw dropped. The bedroom was at least three times bigger than his bedroom at home, and the furniture looked as though it would be worth more than a commoner's year salary.

Rubbing his eyes, Misaki wondered if perhaps he was hallucinating, but as he looked again everything was still as it had been. Nervously, he looked back at Tanaka, who was simply smiling at him.

"I hope that this room is to your liking."

"Of course it is!" Misaki exclaimed, walking over to the large window at the other side, "It's so beautiful! It looks even better than a hotel suite." Noticing how loud he was being, he turned around and bowed apologetically. "I-I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a burden."

"Don't worry about it, Misaki-sama. I understand that you need some time to adjust." Tanaka turned around to leave the room, letting the driver pass with the luggage. "If you need anything, please let me know. Fuyuhiko-sama would like to talk to you after you've unpacked everything."

Misaki nodded and thanked the driver for bringing everything to his bedroom. After they had left, the teen stared at the huge bed in front of him and sighed. It was just so odd; everything had happened so fast, so suddenly. How long would it take before he would feel at home here?

Slowly but surely, Misaki started unpacking everything, putting his clothes in the wardrobe and other possessions in various dressers. There was a lot more room than he needed; Misaki really hadn't brought all that much. He put the empty bag in a large drawer and walked towards the large window again. The garden was unnecessarily large, and the entire Estate was surrounded by forest. It looked so peaceful, yet so far away from the civilized world.

"Oh, Usami-san wanted to talk to me," Misaki reminded himself and turned around to leave the room. When he opened the door, there was no one to be seen. Misaki just returned to the ground floor, where he happened to see a young maid at work.

"Excuse me, but do you know where Usami-san is?"

The girl furrowed her brow in confusion, but then pointed towards a door on Misaki's right. "He's in the sitting room, waiting for you."

"Thank you." With a grateful smile, Misaki passed the maid and walked to the door, opening it carefully. When he caught sight of Fuyuhiko, he entered the room and shut the door. His eyes wandered off to the young man standing next to Fuyuhiko, and Misaki started in disbelief as he noticed that it was Haruhiko.

"Haruhiko-san?" Misaki questioned, earning a confused look from the oldest Usami. Then, he remembered how Fuyuhiko mentioned that he had a son with the name 'Haruhiko'. Even though Haruhiko didn't really look like his father, there was no doubt that the two were related.

"We meet again," Haruhiko replied plainly, not paying attention to his dumbfounded father.

"Have the two of you met before?"

Misaki nodded and smiled at Fuyuhiko. "We met at the café where I work this afternoon," he explained, "Haruhiko-san was one of our customers."

"Interesting," Fuyuhiko said, "Haruhiko hardly goes to places full of commoners."

Haruhiko said nothing and simply took the seat next to his father, mild irritation visible in his eyes. Fuyuhiko smiled a little and them looked around as though he was looking for someone.

"What's the matter?" Misaki asked curiously.

"It appears that Akihiko has fled from the manor once again," Fuyuhiko replied with a sigh, "He always runs off like that. It's like he hates being around here." His sad gaze returned to Misaki. "I wanted to introduce you to both of my sons and let you have a little chat with them, but I suppose Akihiko has other plans."

"But…aren't you worried about him?"

"No, not really. You see, whenever Akihiko runs away, he always returns. It's something I've gotten used to already, which is why I don't tell Tanaka to go look for him anymore."

Misaki listened in disbelief. Why would anyone do something like that? Wasn't it troublesome for Fuyuhiko that his son ran away all the time?

"You'll have to meet Akihiko later. For now, I hope that you and Haruhiko will get to know each other." Feeling as though he wasn't needed anymore, Fuyuhiko rose from the sofa and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. It was not until the sound of footsteps had died down that Haruhiko spoke.

"Why are you here?" Pushing up his glasses, Haruhiko studied Misaki's somewhat non-elegant appearance. The young brunet was the only one in the manor who wore a simple jacket and jeans. Haruhiko, on the other hand, was wearing a high-class suit like the one he wore at the café.

Misaki shifted nervously, noticing the intense stare. "Y-your father offered me a job, so I will live here from today onwards." He looked away from the other to avoid eye contact, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"What kind of job would that be?" Haruhiko's expression didn't change, but his tone told Misaki that he was rather confused by his answer.

There was a moment where Misaki wondered whether he should tell Haruhiko or not. Obviously, Fuyuhiko hadn't informed his sons, so did that mean that Fuyuhiko wanted to keep it a secret? Was Misaki undercover?

Shaking his head, Misaki finally looked into calm gray eyes again. There was something soothing about Haruhiko's gaze—that soft steel color decorated by dark, long eyelashes—and it encouraged Misaki to tell him the truth.

"Your father has hired me to help strengthen the bond you and your brother have," Misaki answered softly, a little scared of what Haruhiko's reaction would be.

"Half-brother," Haruhiko corrected, earning a look of confusion from the younger one, "Akihiko and I were born from different mothers. Either way, I understand that my father has chosen a different approach after his futile attempts to make Akihiko and I like each other. Although I don't want to discourage you, I'm afraid that you're most likely to fail."

With wide eyes, Misaki could feel a twinge of indignity. This wasn't exactly the most pleasant way to start, especially since he wasn't very sure of himself to begin with. His gaze turned hopeful when he focused on Haruhiko again.

"It never hurts to try, right?" he replied in a soft, uncertain voice.

"I guess so, but there are lots of reasons why I wouldn't want to be friendlier with Akihiko."

"Like what?" Misaki asked curiously, tilting his head. He didn't understand Haruhiko's way of thinking at all; Takahiro and he hardly ever fought and they were extremely close. Why couldn't it just be the same for everyone else?

"For example, I have always been trying to impress other people by doing what they want me to. I've been living up to their expectations all my life, yet nothing I do seems to truly make my father happy. He always acts so indifferent." Pushing up his glasses, Haruhiko tried to hide the glint of anger in his eyes. "Akihiko, on the other hand, hardly ever does as he's told. He lives his life the way he wants to, regardless of what others say."

For a moment, Misaki could've sworn that Haruhiko's hatred sounded like jealousy, but he chose to keep his mouth shut and let the older male finish his story.

"Akihiko is caught up in his own world, which he refuses to share with anyone. He always runs away whenever he's forced to do something he doesn't want to do, just like he's run off now. It's very selfish of him to do something like that."

Despite that he knew Akihiko probably wanted to be left alone, Misaki felt the strong urge to go out and look for the other, even though he had no idea where Akihiko could be. Looking down at his hands, he slowly got up.

"Haruhiko-san, I would like to talk to Akihiko-senpai now. Do you have any idea where I could find him?" [2]

Gray eyes narrowed slightly as lips formed into a thin line, but Haruhiko remained calm. "He's probably hiding somewhere in the forest around the house. I don't think you would want to meet him right now though."

"Why would you…say that?"

"Akihiko doesn't like strangers."

Misaki stood there frozen, not sure whether he should look for Akihiko or not. Of course he didn't want to make a bad first impression, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. Something seemed so mysterious about the youngest Usami, and Misaki couldn't stand that feeling.

Finally, Misaki gathered his courage and smiled at Haruhiko. "Thank you for your concern, but I would really like to meet him. After all, I will have to know both of you in order to improve your relationship." With that said, Misaki made his way to the door and walked out. Right when he was about to close the door, softly spoken words reached his ears.

_"…Be careful on your way."_

* * *

**[1 – I use the British naming of the floors, so ground floor, first floor, etc. The ground floor is the same as the American 'first floor'.]**

**[2 – 'senpai' because Akihiko is one year older than Misaki and also in high school. This may remind you of Sekaiichi Hatsukoi.]**

**Oh great, now it sounds like Akihiko is some sort of monster xD How will their meeting go?  
**

**Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think of this chapter ^^**


	4. First impressions

**Thank you for your patience! Here's the new chapter :)**

**Since the last chapter was pretty short, this one is longer. I hope you like it!**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – First impressions**

The faint light of the sunset guided Misaki through the large manor house, making it just a little easier to find the front door. The lights were still off as it wasn't dark enough yet, but it wasn't exactly well illuminated inside. Realizing this, Misaki wondered if he was going to need a flashlight to search Akihiko in the forest. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought a flashlight to the Usami Estate, and looking for one is this huge place wasn't really an option either.

Shrugging, Misaki opened the door, once again amazed by the large and beautiful front yard. It looked even more beautiful in the soft sunlight. Still, despite this beauty, Misaki didn't feel at ease. It was just too lonely.

"Whatever, I just have to find Akihiko-senpai for now," the brunet said to himself, walking towards the forest surrounding the yard. Hesitantly pushing a few branches aside, he walked over the grass. The fact that there wasn't an actual path was not helping at all.

Misaki took slow steps, trying to discover where he was, but practically every tree in the forest looked _exactly_ the same. How Akihiko managed to find his way, Misaki didn't know, but it must have been because Akihiko was already used to it. Still, Misaki refused to give up and turn back; he wanted to see what kind of person Akihiko really was. Maybe Haruhiko has just been saying bad things about him out of hatred. What if Akihiko was actually a very kind person?

'Wait, I should be paying attention to where I'm going or I'll get lost here.' It was then that Misaki found a clearing, revealing the dark orange-colored sky. As he studied the place more thoroughly, he noticed a young male, probably slightly older than him, resting against a tree with a notebook in his hands. The teen didn't seem to notice him, or he simply didn't care enough to even spare him a glance.

Carefully, Misaki moved closer to the stranger, studying his features. Short, silver bangs partially covered his eyes, the strands spiky and silky-looking. His jawline was strong, yet his face was youthful. Misaki felt himself get jealous as the other's shoulders were broader than his, and overall the silver-haired male had more masculine features than him.

As if having sensed Misaki's presence, the teen looked up and stared at him with lustrous, purple-shaded eyes. The look on his face obviously wasn't one to welcome the brunet, but rather to deter him. This caused Misaki to realize that he had been rudely staring at the other for quite some time, so he quickly attempted to greet the stranger by smiling at him.

"Hello there," he said in a quivering voice, "Uhm…are you Akihiko-senpai?"

"And you are?"

Misaki stiffened at the coldness in Akihiko's voice, but quickly composed himself. "My name is Takahashi Misaki. Your father was expecting you at the manor, but you didn't show up."

Uninterested, Akihiko averted his gaze and continued to write in his notebook. "What do you have to do with any of that?"

"Well, Usami-san wanted me to meet his sons, but you were nowhere to be seen. Haruhiko-san told me that you were most likely to be hiding in the forest, so I came here to look for you." Misaki slowly moved closer and sat down next to Akihiko, feeling the soft grass tickle the palms of his hands.

Akihiko still made no move to send Misaki away, yet he didn't look at him either. "I'm not hiding here," he corrected while grabbing his eraser, "What's the use of hiding if everyone already knows where you are? The only reason why I come here is because I hate that house."

Silence fell as the young brunet continued to study Akihiko's face, but there were no emotions reflected in his eyes. He was just as stoic as Haruhiko, which irritated Misaki beyond measure. What bothered him even more was that Akihiko clearly wasn't in the mood to talk, even though Misaki had come all the way to see him.

Banishing the thoughts he considered to be selfish, Misaki let his eyes wander off to the page of Akihiko's notebook. There were many words, sentences, but a large hand covered most of it, making it impossible for Misaki to figure out what Akihiko was writing.

"What are you writing?" Considering that Akihiko wasn't exactly talkative, Misaki was pretty certain that the other wouldn't answer his question, but at least he could try.

"Words," was the blunt reply he received.

"Yes, I can see that, but it's not what I meant." Misaki's voice was laced with irritation as he rolled his eyes at the cleverness of Akihiko's answer. "Are you writing a story, or is it a journal?"

Somewhat annoyed by the boy's nosiness, Akihiko closed the notebook and laid it on his right side, preventing Misaki to lay a hand on it. His glare caused Misaki to shudder a little, but the brunet remained seated. Instead of simply getting the hint, his doe green eyes looked at Akihiko questioningly.

A long, loud sigh came from Akihiko's lips. Seeing that Misaki wasn't planning to leave, the older teen retrieved his belongings and rose. Without another word, he left the clearing and disappeared.

For an entire minute, Misaki didn't move, his eyes fixed on the spot where he had last seen Akihiko, right before he disappeared in the mess of branches. His mind couldn't comprehend what had happened. Did Akihiko just walk away from him? Had he really been bothering him that much?

Finally able to move again, Misaki got back on his feet and cleaned his jeans, wiping off the blades of grass. Pain struck him as he started walking back to the manor house. This really wasn't how he'd hoped their first meeting would go, but he understood that Akihiko came to the forest to enjoy the peace and quiet. Yet, Misaki had ruined everything by paying him a visit.

'Well, I screwed up. I wonder if I can make up to him somehow.' Thinking this, Misaki tried to remember the path he'd walked to get from the manor to the clearing, but it was much harder than he'd expected. The last sunrays had been engulfed by a dark sky, which made it harder for Misaki to see where he was going. He knew he should've brought a flashlight after all; this was just hopeless.

When Misaki noticed that he had reached a dead end, he began to panic. He had gotten lost in a dark and rather scary forest, all alone, and it was his own damn fault. What if there were actually wolves or bears there?

The rustling of branches behind the brunet caught his attention, making him tremble in fear. He clenched his eyes shut, hoping that whatever was there wouldn't notice him, but the sounds only got louder and louder.

Misaki waited for an impact, but the only thing he perceived was the sound of chirping. Daring himself to look again, the teen sighed in relief as he noticed that the creature hiding in the bushes had been nothing more than a small bird, who seemed to be even more scared.

"Phew, I got all worked up for nothing," Misaki said, laughing quietly.

"What are you doing?"

"Gah!" Misaki's body jerked and he looked to his left, seeing that Akihiko was standing a few feet away from him. The older teen had a skeptical look on his face as he pointed the flashlight at the brunet.

"You're lost."

"No I'm not!" Misaki exclaimed, squeezing his eyes shut as he was blinded by the bright light.

"Of course you aren't. You're simply taking a detour, right?" Akihiko said mockingly as he turned around and slowly walked forward. "Just walk with me, unless you want to stay here by yourself."

'What the hell is up with him?' Misaki asked himself as he followed the other, not sure what to think of Akihiko's sudden 'rescue'. He picked up the pace until he was walking just behind Akihiko, making their way through the forest together.

There were so many questions popping up in Misaki's head, so many things he wanted to ask Akihiko. Why did he hate his brother so much? Why was he trying to stay away from home so much? Most importantly, what was Akihiko writing all the time? Although Misaki was desperate to know the answer, he knew that Akihiko would definitely not tell him, _especially_ after their first meeting.

There were hardly any stars to be seen when the two got out of the forest, making the sky look almost pitch black. Somehow, it even made Misaki feel even worse. He was never the kind to be pessimistic, but right then he didn't have anything to be happy about. It also didn't help that Akihiko seemed to pay him absolutely no attention as they walked back.

Getting sick of the silence, Misaki decided to initiate conversation. "Usami-san hired me," he said softly, "He told me that you and Haruhiko-san don't get along."

Akihiko's gaze met the other's. "I don't understand what that has to do with why you're here."

"Well, Usami-san was hoping that I could get the two of you to like each other."

Instead of giving Misaki another blunt reply, Akihiko simply kept staring at him. It was giving Misaki the creeps, but he didn't have the strength to yell at him. Never before had he ever met anyone who was so hard to talk to—even Haruhiko said more than this guy. Really, the brunet would be happy to hear anything, simply _anything_ come from those thin lips.

But still, Akihiko remained silent and looked in front of him, gazing into nothingness.

"Senpai, why—"

"Listen to me," Akihiko interrupted, startling Misaki with his unexpected speech, "I don't know if my father has lost his mind, but I'm afraid he has. There is no way Haruhiko and I will ever like each other, so you're wasting your time here." As they reached the now lit manor, Akihiko turned off his flashlight. "Your job is meaningless."

Okay, perhaps Misaki wasn't happy with _everything_ Akihiko would say.

Misaki didn't understand…not at all. There was absolutely nothing he had done other than try to talk to Akihiko, and yet the male was talking to him so hatefully. Everything he said was just cold, almost heartless even.

The sudden urge to cry was all Misaki felt. He just wanted to get away from Akihiko so he could be alone. After all, that was what Akihiko had wanted as well; to not be disturbed. Yet, Misaki had still been so damn stubborn to go look for him. Everything was his own fault.

As soon as Akihiko had opened the front door, Misaki dashed up the stairs towards his own bedroom, not even looking back at Akihiko again. After slamming the door behind him, Misaki let himself fall onto his bed and buried his face into the pillow.

'This really sucks.'

There was the sound of footsteps echoing through the hall, followed by a knock on the door. Sitting up in his bed, Misaki turned around to look at the source of the sound.

"Who's there?" he asked, not really in the mood to talk to anyone.

"It's Tanaka."

Misaki felt some sort of relief that it wasn't Akihiko. "Come in." The door opened as soon as he said that, revealing the friendly butler with a rather concerned look on his face.

"Are you all right, Misaki-sa—I mean Misaki-kun?"

As much as the brunet wanted to answer Tanaka's question positively, there was no way he could lie about how he was feeling. Besides, even if he tried to make Tanaka believe that he was okay, the man would see right through his lies. After all, Misaki had never been a good liar.

Approaching the other slowly, Tanaka flashed a small, sad smile. "I suppose that your meeting with Akihiko-sama didn't go too well, did it?" As Misaki shook his head, the butler emitted a soft sigh. "I know that Akihiko-sama isn't the friendliest person, but he isn't cruel either. He's simply not fond of people who disturb him, especially if he doesn't know them well."

Folding his arms, Misaki pouted a little. "That still is no reason for him to be so cold towards me," he muttered in irritation, feeling as though Tanaka was blaming _him_ for that fact that _Akihiko_ had been so mean.

Tanaka laughed softly at the teen's response, but then turned serious again. "I'm simply asking you to give Akihiko another chance. He's not an easy person to get along with, but I'm sure that you'll become friends."

'I don't mind giving senpai another chance, but what if he refuses to forgive me?' Misaki thought worriedly, averting his gaze.

Noticing the other's restlessness, Tanaka concluded that Misaki needed something to relax. "Why don't you go take a shower, Misaki-kun? I'm sure that you'll feel better after that."

Eyes darting up, Misaki could feel the smile on his face as he nodded. "Yes, that sounds good."

* * *

Checking the water's temperature, Misaki stood in the oversized douche cabin. Feeling that the water was warm enough, Misaki moved closer until he was standing right beneath the shower head, sighing contentedly as the warmth soothed his muscles.

Despite his earlier desperation, Misaki had to admit that taking a shower had been a great idea. It was a good way to freshen up and help him relax. For a moment, it could help him to temporarily push his worries aside. He hummed softly as the water warmed him up, looking at the many bottles of shampoo and body soap. The wide range of scents was rather surprising, not to mention impressing.

Taking two bottles in hand, the brunet debated which shampoo he should use. It was unusual for him to be able to choose, so it was hard to make a decision. In the end, he chose the one that smelled like vanilla as it didn't seem as overwhelming as the other aroma. He put the rejected bottle back in the rack, ready to start washing his hair, but froze when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.

'Someone's in the shower…with me…' Consumed by fear, Misaki shuddered as he hesitantly turned around. He was taken by surprise to see Akihiko stand in front of him, staring at him with those mysterious eyes. Aware of his nakedness, the younger teen quickly stepped backwards, his face heating up rapidly.

They were in the shower, Akihiko and him…both naked. How did things turn out like this?

"A-Akihiko-senpai, w-what are you doing here?" Stuttering nervously, Misaki took a few steps back until his back touched the cold tiles on the wall. He couldn't understand why this guy was in the shower with him. Was Akihiko some sort of peeping tom?

Slowly, Akihiko moved closer to Misaki, claiming his place under the shower head. The water made his hair heavier, causing it to fall in front of his face and cover his eyes partially. Without Misaki noticing, he looked at the bottle in the other's hand.

"Let me wash your hair for you," Akihiko ordered in a less cold voice than before. It still didn't sound friendly, but at least he wasn't as mean as before.

Misaki, narrowing his eyes, gazed at the other in confusion and even suspicion. "I can do that myself," he replied, not sure what Akihiko's true intentions were.

"I want to do it."

'God, why is he so persistent?!' Realizing that Akihiko wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer, Misaki hesitantly handed the shampoo to the older male. He watched Akihiko open the cap and take a few steps back.

"Come closer."

Obediently, Misaki stepped closer until he was on the other side of the water spray with Akihiko, squeezing his eyes shut when large hands moved to his hair. Feeling the fingers combing through his hair, caressing his scalp, the brunet relaxed again.

There was a comfortable silence between the two as Akihiko continued to massage the foamy whiteness through Misaki's darkened chocolate locks. The digits worked somewhat roughly, yet not enough to cause Misaki any pain. Combing some small tangles out of the other's hair, Akihiko felt a tiny smile play on his lips as he studied Misaki's facial expressions.

Misaki had to suppress a moan that threatened to escape when Akihiko's left hand ran over a sensitive part on the back of his head. It was still cold; the feeling of those palms on his heated skin, but it was far from unpleasant. Honestly, Misaki almost felt disappointed when Akihiko retracted his hands.

'What the hell am I thinking?' the young teen thought, trying to shake those strange thoughts off. Why did he feel so happy? Was it because Akihiko was actually showing him some kindness?

Gently, Akihiko guided Misaki backwards until he was under the spray of water. "Keep still and don't open your eyes," Akihiko instructed as he started to rinse the shampoo out of the other's hair. He unconsciously moved a little closer to Misaki, entranced by how delicate the boy looked.

Even with his eyes closed, Misaki could sense Akihiko checking him out in a casual way. Surprisingly, it didn't make him feel uncomfortable this time, even though he was buck naked and defenseless against anything the older one could do to him. The point was that he _knew_ Akihiko wouldn't do anything. It was obvious, even to him, that Akihiko did this because he wanted to apologize to Misaki in some way.

It appeared that Akihiko's tactic was working.

Once Misaki felt the absence of the hands in his hair, he slowly opened his eyes to look at Akihiko, who was already taking another bottle from the rack. The brunet cocked his head in confusion, but felt his face lit up when the other took some body wash.

"Ah, I-I can wash my body m-myself!" Misaki stuttered in embarrassment, quickly taking the bottle from Akihiko's hands. He could allow another guy to wash his hair, but to let someone touch his body was definitely wrong.

Akihiko stared at the teen momentarily before a smirk decorated his face. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes, but instead of doing anything Akihiko simply climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry himself with.

In the meantime, Misaki washed his own body and tried to completely ignore Akihiko's presence, feeling just the slightest bit uneasy because of the look Akihiko had given him. There was something strangely intimidating about it. Therefore, he was kind of relieved when Akihiko finally left the bathroom, being dressed in what seemed like a short-sleeved button-up shirt and dark blue pants. After taking in those little details, Misaki got out of the shower and found himself a towel.

'That was…pretty weird,' the brunet concluded as he toweled his body, eyes darting to the clean clothes that were neatly folded and lying right next to the sink. Still, Misaki was happy despite the unexpected change of events. He had a little more faith him himself thanks to Akihiko's 'visit'.

Dressing himself, Misaki left the towel on the floor like Tanaka had instructed and returned to his bedroom. Everything had just gotten better in less than half an hour, in the weirdest way imaginable.

* * *

**You thought that something was going to happen in the shower, didn't you? It's too soon for that :P**

**Thanks for reading and please review ^^**


	5. Fright and flight

**Chapter 5 – Fright and flight**

Waking up after a long peaceful sleep, Misaki rubbed his eyes drowsily as a young woman greeted him with a polite bow.

"Good morning, Misaki-sama," she said with a smile, carrying some clean bedding as she walked over to the wardrobe to put them away. It seemed as though it was normal for housekeepers to enter one's bedroom like that, but in all honesty Misaki wasn't too pleased with this.

Rolling over, the brunet groaned in irritation as he realized how incredibly comfortable the bed was. How could someone expect him to get out of a bed if it felt softer than the feathers of an angel? It was a truly addicting feeling, making Misaki quite sleepy despite his hours of rest.

Noticing Misaki's state, the young maid couldn't help but giggle softly, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle the sound as best she could. Closing the doors of the large closet, she bowed before leaving the room again, deciding not to disturb the teen any longer.

Soft sunlight illuminated the room, a soft morning glow shining upon the entire mansion. It was the beauty of spring Misaki simply couldn't ignore; it was one of his favorite times of year. Unfortunately, his good mood was killed once he realized that it was the last day of spring break. He didn't feel like going to school just yet, especially since his part-time job was already taking up a lot of his free time.

Misaki shook his head. If he wanted to make his father and brother proud, he had to work hard at school as well. There was no time to whine about the small amount of fun he could have. Slowly, he sat up in his bed and moved around until he could put his feet on the ground. There was a soft, warm carpet covering the floor, keeping his feet warm.

As Misaki stood up, he momentarily felt light-headed, but managed to maintain his balance. He walked towards his desk, where his clothes lay, and started dressing himself slowly. He looked out of the window, only to see a large forest surrounding the house and a few birds flying past his window.

"I should probably go downstairs for breakfast," Misaki told himself, not sure how things worked around the Usami Estate. Neither Tanaka nor Fuyuhiko had given him any explanation about the daily schedule and rules of the house; it was up to him to figure everything out.

After dressing himself, Misaki left his bedroom and found the staircase. Tanaka, who was standing near the front door, greeted him.

"You're up early, Misaki-kun," the butler said gently, pulling at his pure white gloves, "Breakfast is being served in the dining room."

Misaki nodded as he smiled at the other. "Thank you, Sebas—"

"It's Tanaka," the older male corrected in a kind, patient voice. He chuckled when he noticed the faint color of embarrassment paint the brunet's young face and then walked out of the manor, closing the door behind him quietly.

In large steps, Misaki walked over to the dining room, carefully pushing the door further open as he studied the room before him. There was a large, wooden dining table in the middle of the room with nine chairs. Fuyuhiko was sitting at the head of the table, meeting Misaki's gaze. A smile crossed his face as Misaki carefully moved closer, taking the seat next to Haruhiko.

"Good morning," Haruhiko spoke calmly as he took a bite, eyes fixed on the younger teen next to him. He turned away when Misaki gave a small nod and then looked at his father. "Didn't you have some important business to attend to?"

Fuyuhiko put his chopsticks down, frowning at his son. "Really Haruhiko, do you want me to leave that badly?" he asked, sighing when the other simply looked away. Finally, the father rose from his seat and left the dining room.

Once the man was gone, Misaki looked at Haruhiko questioningly. "Why did you send your father away?"

"Just like his other son, he has the tendency to neglect his duties, especially when they don't spark his interest. He's the president of the company, yet he tries to slip away occasionally. Not a very good example, I must say."

Emerald eyes saddened slightly. "Haruhiko-san, do you…not like your father? Does your family really have so many issues?"

Haruhiko wasn't sure if he had to nod or shake his head, so instead he just stared at the younger male and took a deep breath. "No, I do not like my father, and I have never liked Akihiko. The only person who ever cared about me was my mother…and she's no longer with us…"

"Did your mother…pass away?" Misaki felt his heart drop when Haruhiko nodded slowly. "I'm sorry to hear that. I know how it feels; my mother died when I was eight years old."

Surprised, Haruhiko could feel his eyes widen a little. It was hard to believe that anyone could relate to him, especially since he and Misaki didn't know each other all that well. Never had anyone shown him such true sympathy.

Carefully reaching out, Haruhiko placed his hand on Misaki's head and stroked his rich brown hair. Since he had found someone who could at least understand him a little, it was important to become closer. He wanted to talk more about the loss of his mother; he wanted to talk more with Misaki. Although he rarely talked about private matters, something within Haruhiko encouraged him to tell Misaki.

Unfortunately, Misaki disturbed the peace with a sudden question. "Where is Akihiko-senpai?" He jolted slightly when he noticed the irritated look in those gray orbs, realizing that he had said something to upset Haruhiko.

The older one retracted his hand and continued to eat. "He's probably still asleep," Haruhiko answered plainly, "It's normal for him to sleep in during weekends or holidays." From his tone, Misaki could infer that it meant that Akihiko was lazy.

Misaki was debating with himself. As much as he wanted to have Haruhiko and Akihiko become closer, he was sure that it wouldn't be appreciated if he insisted to have breakfast with the both of them.

Finally making a decision, Misaki carefully stood up and rested his hands on the table, earning a glance from Haruhiko.

"I'm going to check on senpai."

Without another word, Haruhiko averted his gaze, but Misaki could see faint disappoint haunt those light eyes. It was so difficult to get along with both Haruhiko and Akihiko; whenever he wanted to improve his relationship with one of them it would irritate the other. Sighing softly, he walked to the door and left the dining room. Since he had no idea where Akihiko's room was, he climbed the stairs and carefully checked every room.

Finally, after having examined five doors—including two locked doors—Misaki stood in front of the last door. He softly pushed the door open and peeked inside. There was someone sleeping in an enormous bed, but the brunet couldn't see who it was. Nevertheless, he sneaked into the room and approached the bed. When he caught sight of a mob of silvery hair, Misaki knew that he'd found Akihiko's room.

"Senpai," the boy whispered, gently touching the other's shoulder, "Wake up senpai. You shouldn't stay in bed all day; let's eat breakfast together."

Groaning, Akihiko rolled over so his back was facing the brunet. Misaki frowned at this and tried again, but his senpai wouldn't budge. It appeared that Akihiko was in no mood to get out of bed anytime soon.

Much to Akihiko's annoyance, Misaki wasn't the type of person to give up so soon. A soft hand pulled at him, trying to make him lie on his back so Misaki could see his face. Although he was trying to ignore it, Akihiko could feel his irritation grow.

"Come on," Misaki said mockingly, "Don't be like this."

Groggily, Akihiko sat up in his bed and turned around, shooting daggers at Misaki with his narrowed eyes. His hair was messy and sticking out in every possible direction. Jaw tense, the older male continued to glare at Misaki until the teen finally let go of him.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" Akihiko asked in an alarmingly low voice.

Misaki could feel himself shudder as he took a few steps back, trying to calm himself. No matter how he much he wanted to get along with the other, he couldn't deny that Akihiko could be very scary. As he turned around to leave the room, a hand wrapped itself around his wrist and held it tightly. The brunet turned his head to face the teen that had grabbed him.

"S-senpai, let go of me. I was just about to leave."

Instead of releasing him, Akihiko pulled Misaki closer to him, his amethyst gaze piercing him. "I do _not_ want to be disturbed in the morning," he explained with a growl, "Stay away from my room; you have no business here." He then let go of Misaki's nearly bruised wrist and watched the boy dash out of the room.

* * *

It was impossible for Misaki to get the bedroom encounter out of his head. Even when he was walking around in the café, the memory still lingered in his head. Akihiko was a difficult person to handle; he got irritated and angry so easily. Misaki wasn't sure how to deal with a person like that.

Gently placing a bottle of soda on the table, Misaki bowed to his customer and quickly returned to the bar. Eita was looking at him questioningly, obviously sensing that something was wrong.

"Did something happen?" The blond asked, handing over the omelet rice that had to be served, "You look down."

Misaki first shook his head, but as Eita furrowed his brow the teen gave in. "I had a fight with someone this morning, or at least…I did something to make them angry."

Eita nodded in understanding and then watched Misaki take the omelet rice to the person who'd ordered it. He gave a loud sigh, feeling the same frustration his friend was feeling. It was hard to ignore his worries when Misaki looked so droopy and sad. What Misaki really needed was a mini vacation, just a few days away from work and everything else so he could relax.

When the brunet was about to return to Eita, his hand was suddenly grabbed by someone. Jolting at the impact, the events of the same morning rushed through Misaki's mind, causing him to panic. Squeezing his eyes shut, he stood there, waiting for whatever was about to come.

"Hey kid," an irritated, deep voice said, "I've been waiting for half an hour. Where the hell is _my_ omelet rice?"

Too lost in his own anxiety, Misaki could only hear Akihiko's voice as the man continued to yell at him. His body trembled as the fear began to overwhelm him, his eyelashes still clumped together.

"I'm sorry!"

"That isn't going to get me my food, now is it?" the other growled, tightening his grip on the boy's poor wrist. He was growing angrier as Misaki stood there helplessly without doing anything. Raising his hand, he was about to give the brunet a good knock when someone stopped him.

Looking up, the man noticed a tall male who was firmly holding his arm, preventing him from hurting Misaki.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

The other seemed unfazed. "You have no right to treat him this way," he spoke calmly. As his voice reached Misaki's ears, the young teen glanced up to see Haruhiko stand near him. Relief washed over him as those calm gray eyes glanced at him momentarily before focusing on the furious man.

"Let go of me, you asshole!"

Haruhiko's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Leave, now!" Both Misaki and the other male jolted when Haruhiko suddenly raised his voice, even though his face was still composed as usual. As he pushed up his glasses, Haruhiko released the frightened man, watching him run off quickly. His attention then returned to Misaki. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes…I'm fine," Misaki asked, uncertainty lacing his words.

Instead of talking back, Haruhiko placed a hand on the younger one's head, causing green eyes to look up at him. "It's time for you to go home," he said, his tone making it sound like a gentle command rather than a suggestion.

Misaki quickly shook his head. "I can't," he protested, glancing at his blond haired friend, "I've still got work to do." However, when Eita raised his hand to tell Misaki to go home, the brunet had no more excuses to stay.

As Haruhiko walked out of the café, he glanced over his shoulder to see if Misaki was following him. Together, they crossed the road and walked over to the expensive black car that was waiting for them. The driver noticed them and greeted both men politely as they got into the car.

Putting on his seatbelt, Haruhiko made eye contact with the driver through the mirror. "Take a detour," he ordered and the driver nodded before starting the vehicle. When his eyes darted to Misaki, the boy gave him a confused look.

"What's going on, Haruhiko-san?"

"We are going to talk."

* * *

**It's time for some Misaki and Haruhiko bonding!**

**I can see that the shower scene from the previous chapter is kind of controversial. To be honest, I wasn't trying to create a romantic moment; it was meant to show how weird Akihiko is xD**

**Thank you for reading and please review ^^**


	6. Better acquainted

**Here's the chapter about some Misaki and Haruhiko bonding. Enjoy!**

**Btw, thanks for the +50 follows and reviews!**

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**Chapter 6 – Better acquainted**

Misaki blinked in surprise as he continued to stare at Haruhiko. "You want to talk?" he questioned, not sure if he had heard the other correctly. "All right, what would you like to talk about?"

"You mentioned before that your mother passed away when you were still a child. I would like to know what happened to her."

"I see…" Misaki's gaze lowered to the hands folded in his lap. "My parents both got into a car accident, but my father miraculously survived. Unfortunately, my mother didn't, so I lost her at a young age. After that, my brother began to take care of me more because my father had to work hard to earn enough money. However, with Nii-chan's tuition fees and so many mouths to feed, this isn't going exactly smoothly."

Haruhiko's expression softened. "It must have been hard on you," he said softly, his voiced laced with pity and sympathy, "Yet, I must admit my jealousy. You have a father and a brother who treat you with love, but I've never felt like I have a real family. Everyone is so distant or hateful that it's better to stay away from them rather than try to interact."

"I-I'm not sure what your family really is like, because I hardly know any of you, but if you want to get closer to someone I think you simply have to take the initiative," Misaki replied and Haruhiko looked surprised. It was one of the few times he had seen the older one's emotions so clearly.

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Let's take today for example," Misaki replied, fidgeting with his fingers, "You went to the café to talk to me. That's taking the initiative. If you would try the same with Akihiko-senpai, I'm sure the two of you could have a talk."

"Perhaps, but Akihiko and I don't have many shared interests…and we prefer to stay away from each other as much as possible. We simply don't have a lot to discuss, unless it's something that will lead to an argument."

Misaki nodded sadly and then laid his hand on the other's shoulder. "That doesn't mean that you have to give up, does it?" he said with a weak smile.

Finally, Haruhiko seemed to brighten up a bit. "Can I take it to mean that you haven't given up either?" When the younger brunet nodded, he felt his lips form into a slight smile. "I think I underestimated you," he spoke gently, "You might be able to make a change after all."

Hearing this made Misaki incredibly happy. He wasn't expecting any kind of encouragement from the Usami sons. "I won't give up, but I will need your cooperation. There's no way I could do it all by myself."

"I'll do whatever I can, but I won't make any promises," Haruhiko replied as he temporarily gazed out of the window, "Say, could you tell me more about your mother? What kind of person was she?"

"She was a very kind and caring mother. Even though she yelled at me when I did something stupid, I could always feel the love behind her words. No matter what I did, she was constantly worried about me." Misaki smiled at the memory of his beloved mother. "Her name was Kazumi, which means 'beautiful harmony'."

"Sounds like a fitting name."

"What about your mother, Haruhiko-san?"

Haruhiko looked back at the teen. "My mother was the one who paid attention to me wherever I went, unlike my father. Ever since the day I lost her, I'm missing the warmth and joy she brought to our family."

Misaki's breath turned quick. He hadn't seen Haruhiko so emotional before, neither did he realize that he had lost the only person who seemed to truly show him love. Perhaps that was the reason why Haruhiko seemed so cold and expressionless sometimes.

"Unfortunately, she died of cancer about a year after I was born. My father then got married to Akihiko's mother, Kanae."

"She seems to have been very important in your life, even though she passed away when you were young," Misaki whispered. He wasn't sure if he was hurting Haruhiko's feelings by talking about his mother. It seemed that Haruhiko had a soft spot for her.

"I don't remember a lot from the time she was still with us, but what I do know is that she never tried to restrain me, unless she was trying to protect me."

"So that means, if she was still alive, you wouldn't try to realize your father's dreams and just do as you please?"

Slowly, Haruhiko nodded. "If she was still with us, I would be studying architecture right now."

Something within Misaki was sparked by the way Haruhiko spoke about his mother and his dreams. "You shouldn't do something simply because your father wants it!" he exclaimed, "If you want to become an architect, then the only one who is standing in your way is you. Just follow your own dreams."

Surprised by the teen's words, Haruhiko blinked a couple of times before a smile tugged at his lips. "That's something my mother would probably say as well," he pointed out, moving his hand to rest it on Misaki's head, "Thank you for your kind words."

The remainder of the drive was silent, but both Misaki and Haruhiko felt at ease. It was the first time that Misaki had had such a casual conversation with Haruhiko without any interference. He was still touched by how kind the other was.

'Yeah, unlike Senpai…' Misaki thought, rolling his eyes. Why couldn't Akihiko be more like his half-brother? That would have made it so much easier to talk to him—not that Misaki wanted to have a conversation with the silver-haired male. In fact, he'd much rather avoid him as much as possible after what happened in the morning. Maybe then Akihiko would realize that he should be kinder to him.

After a while, the Usami Estate came into view and the driver parked the car. Haruhiko got out first, followed by Misaki, and together they walked to the entrance of the manor. They were greeted by a few maids in the hall. As one of the girls announced that dinner would be served soon, Haruhiko made his way to the dining room, but Misaki didn't move from his spot.

"Aren't you coming for dinner?" Haruhiko asked, noticing that Misaki was getting behind.

"I-I'm not hungry. Actually, I am not feeling very well, so I should probably lie down for a while." This excuse allowed Misaki to hide himself in his bedroom. He locked the door behind him and then moved to his bed, where he sat down and sighed. If he joined Haruhiko for dinner, he was sure Akihiko would show up and insist that needed to talk.

Misaki could hear footsteps downstairs and Tanaka's friendly voice as he greeted Akihiko, who had returned home after—what Misaki believed—spending hours of wasting his time in the woods. Feeling irritated, Misaki curled himself into a ball and gazed out of his window, trying to ignore the sounds and the voices.

"Maybe I should gather my stuff for tomorrow," the brunet muttered to himself, getting sulky by the thought that school would start so soon. Nevertheless he rose and walked to one of the dressers. He found his pencil case along with a few notebooks and put them in his bag. While he did this, he noticed a picture he had brought to the Usami mansion. It was a photograph of his family, with him and Takahiro as children and both of their parents standing behind them.

Carefully, Misaki ran his thumb over the glass. He started to wonder how his brother was doing. Takahiro and he had been very close ever since Misaki's birth, so he knew that the other was worrying over him, or at least missing him. Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, he decided to give his brother a call.

Unfortunately, the signal was too weak to send any text messages or make any calls, so Misaki put the phone back. "Great, I forgot that this place is surrounded by nothing but trees," the teen muttered in annoyance. The only other option to contact Takahiro was the use the normal phone, but that meant that he would have to get out of his room and go downstairs again.

Before the brunet could return to his bed, he heard someone knock on his door.

"Misaki, are you there?" It was definitely Akihiko's voice, which didn't please Misaki in the slightest.

"What do you want?" the teen spat angrily in reply, hoping that his tone would chase Akihiko off. Much to his irritation, it didn't.

"I want to talk to you. Could you unlock the door?"

"No, I can't. Right now, I'm not in the mood to talk. Please go away and eat your dinner or whatever." After saying this, he listened closely by the door and waited for the sound of footsteps, but he could only hear his own breathing and Akihiko's pleas.

"Please, just open the door."

Surprise struck Misaki. He didn't think Akihiko even knew the word 'please', considering that he had sneaked into the shower without Misaki's permission. Despite this, the brunet was still too angry to let Akihiko in.

"Go away..."

The sigh Akihiko emitted could be heard before the young male walked away from the door.

Misaki was relieved, but he also felt a bit bad about being so harsh on the other. 'No, it isn't my fault. Senpai deserves it for being so cruel to me this morning.' Closing his eyes, Misaki placed the picture back on the dresser. All of a sudden, he wasn't sure if sending Akihiko away had been the right thing to do. What if the guy actually came to apologize to him?

It seemed too late to run after Akihiko, so Misaki chose to let it slide. They lived in the same house, so there was a big fat chance he'd run into Akihiko the next morning. Knowing this reassured the boy a bit, but it didn't lighten the mood. Trying to escape the frustration, Misaki left his room to explore the mansion. It was the best way to kill time and to distract him.

As he opened the door, his eyes fell upon a small plate of Onigiri. His eyebrows flew up at the sight of this and he began to wonder who had left the food there. Picking up the plate, he noticed a small note and read it.

_I brought you some rice balls since those are easy to digest. _

_Even if you're not feeling well, you should eat. You wouldn't want to miss your first day of school, now would you?_

_Haruhiko _

Smiling to himself, Misaki sat down on a chair in his room and ate the food hungrily. Haruhiko was surprisingly caring, which was something Misaki could appreciate. He hadn't expected anyone to bring him food except for Tanaka.

"I can see you do have some appetite now," a voice spoke, startling Misaki. As the teen turned around in his seat, he saw Haruhiko in the doorway.

"Ah, Haruhiko-san..."

"Did I scare you? The burden of a guilty conscience, perhaps?"

The younger male said nothing and took a bite of white rice. Haruhiko noticed his discomfort and walked to the table. He took a seat across from Misaki and studied him closely.

"You look troubled," he pointed out, "Are you worried about something?"

Misaki slowly put the rice ball down and looked back at Haruhiko. "I walked into Akihiko-senpai's room to check up on him, but he refused to get out of bed. Then he got really angry and told me to not enter his room again. I have no idea what I did wrong, so I'm pretty mad at him for being so cold to me."

Haruhiko crossed his legs and rubbed his temples. "It's not because you did something wrong," he assured the other, "Akihiko is just very cranky in the morning. It must be hereditary; his mother is the same way."

Something about Haruhiko's answer amused Misaki, causing him to laugh softly.

"What's so funny?"

"I…I don't know," Misaki replied, still snickering.

A smile played on Haruhiko's lips. "You're a very strange boy," he said. It didn't sound like an insult, more like a remark brought forth by his confusion. Standing up, he glanced at the younger brunet once more. "Just leave the plate on the table when you're done. I'm sure one of the maids will clean it up later."

"All right, I'll do that. Thank you for bringing me this food, Haruhiko-san."

Haruhiko simply nodded and made his way to the hallway. "Go get some rest…and don't worry about Akihiko too much." As he closed the door behind him, Misaki finished his second rice ball and smiled. Kindness seemed to be the cure for every troubled heart.

* * *

**Misaki is so stubborn xD**

**Thank you for reading this chapter! Please let me know what you liked or what you didn't like :)  
**

**Oh, I've also added a poll to my profile about the next story I'm going to write. If you want to check it out, please do. Don't worry, I won't start on a new story now; I already have 5 stories to work on at the moment :P**


	7. Apology accepted

**Sorry for the long wait; I really try to update as fast as possible, but I have too many assignments -_-**

**I hope you will all like this new chapter!**

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**Chapter 7 – Apology accepted**

The first day of school had arrived faster than anyone had hoped for, but it couldn't be helped. After getting dressed, Misaki wearily dragged himself to the dining room, clutching the handrail of the staircase tightly in fear of falling. There had been days where he felt fitter, but he blamed it on everything that had happened the previous day.

Even though Misaki was still a bit angry at Akihiko, he wanted to make up with him. Making enemies of the Usami brothers was pointless and it would only make his job harder. Besides, he couldn't expect Haruhiko to like his half-brother if he himself didn't do the same.

Reaching the ground floor, Misaki passed a few doors until he was near the dining room. A few maids greeted him as he walked him, but they didn't exchange any other pleasantries as they focused on their task. The table was almost set, the tableware clean and shining as though it had been cleaned thoroughly that same morning.

"Good morning, Misaki-sama." The brunet turned around to see Tanaka in the doorway, smiling at him, "I hope you have slept well."

Misaki ignored the unnecessary formality and nodded. "I have," he replied, "The bed is so comfortable that I don't even want to get out."

Laughing at the teen's words, Tanaka moved closer to the dining table. "It seems as though breakfast will be served very soon."

"Come to think of it, shouldn't Usami-san be here already? He can't be late for work."

"Fuyuhiko-sama has already left and so has Akihiko-sama," Tanaka replied.

"You mean Akihiko-senpai is already gone? That's odd; I thought he hates waking up early." Misaki reminded himself of his encounter with the very grumpy teenager the morning before. If Akihiko had really left in such a state, Misaki felt sorry for anyone who even dared to get close to him. He could imagine the look of doom in those darkened amethyst eyes.

As Misaki took a seat, the maids began serving his breakfast. Apparently, it didn't matter when you came down for breakfast; the maids would always have the food ready. The only thing that confused Misaki was the fact that they had cleared the table after Akihiko's and Fuyuhiko's departure, but he decided not to question their approach.

The door to the dining room was about to be closed when someone prevented this. Tanaka swiftly took a step back and opened the door again, his gaze meeting Haruhiko's.

"Ah, good morning Haruhiko-sama," he said, bowing in front of the male before getting out of the way, "I apologize for trying to shut the door."

"It's fine," Haruhiko replied plainly, obviously not minding it all that much. When he caught sight of Misaki, he walked towards the table. "I see that my father and half-brother have already left the house."

When Haruhiko sat down, the maids instantly rushed in to bring him his food. The all greeted him somewhat hastily, but Haruhiko didn't seem to pay any attention to it. Instead, he began to eat while his eyes traveled to the younger brunet across from him.

"Are you feeling any better? Did you finish your food last night?"

Misaki nodded. "Yes, I did. I would like to thank you again for bringing me those rice balls." From the look of it, Haruhiko thought his gratitude was not necessary and tried to ignore it. To Misaki, it wasn't sure if it was out of irritation or out of shyness.

"Has Akihiko apologized to you?" Haruhiko asked suddenly, surprising Misaki with his question.

"No. When I came here, he was already gone. I suppose he doesn't want to be late for school."

Haruhiko shook his head. "It's simply because he wants to get out of the house. As soon as he wakes up, he's already trying to sneak out as quickly as possible. I believe he spends hours at the library at your high school reading books just to have an excuse to stay away from here."

Incapable of forming a response, Misaki just stared at the other with a sad look in those shining orbs. "I want to change that," he spoke in a softer voice, "While I know it will be difficult to make many big changes, I refuse to believe that it's impossible." Taking a sip of his soup, he broke eye contact and stared into his bowl. "Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but if Usami-san thinks I can get the two of you to like each other it must be possible to make Akihiko-senpai like this place too. He hates being here because no one seems to understand him."

"It's because he hardly lets anyone get close to him. Besides, our father didn't really care for us when we were younger, so we never had the chance to strengthen our bond with him. Akihiko's mother was always gone and eventually ran away with another man. I suppose the two of us have never liked each other because we aren't related by blood."

Raising his eyebrows, Misaki looked up. "That doesn't have to be the reason. Isn't it simply because of the way you treat one another? Have you ever been jealous of senpai?"

"Now why would I be jealous of someone like him?" Haruhiko asked, his tone indicating that he was offended by the question.

Misaki shrugged. "People tend to get jealous very easily," he replied, "My brother always gets good grades, so I'm pretty jealous of him. However, Nii-chan has looked after me like a caring big brother ever since I was a child. That's what has made our bond so strong."

"I see—so that's what it's like." The older male seemed to be lost in his thoughts, not paying attention to Misaki any longer. The chocolate haired brunet finished his food and thanked the maid who came to collect the dishes. He then rose from his seat, glancing at Haruhiko once more.

Another maid rushed in, handing Misaki a small package which turned out to be his lunch for that day. The teen bowed gratefully and accepted the packed lunch, not used to such luxury yet. Misaki called out to Haruhiko, telling him that he was leaving for school, but the man didn't hear him. Choosing to let Haruhiko think about everything they had discussed, he went upstairs to change to his uniform.

There was still plenty of time left before the first class started, but Misaki couldn't help but worry about the distance from the Usami Estate to his high school. According to Fuyuhiko, they lived rather close to the city, but Misaki could only see trees when he looked out of the window. Tokyo was nowhere to be seen.

The buttons of the uniform clicked in the silent room. The school bag Misaki had packed lay on his bed and he picked it up before leaving his room again. As he walked down the stairs several maids were cleaning the hall. It appeared that Tanaka truly was the only male housekeeper in the manor.

Misaki took a deep breath and inched closer to the front door, which was already open. He was about to walk out when a maid suddenly called his name.

"Please wait, Misaki-sama," the young woman said, "If you're leaving for school, we can get you a driver. It's a very long walk from here."

"It will be fine. I don't mind walking at all."

Pursing her lips, the maid bit back her protests as she didn't want to seem pushy and turned away to get back to her chores. Her eyes found Misaki one final time before the teen walked out of the mansion and began his long journey to school.

The road never seemed to end as Misaki forced himself to keep going, even though his body was still numb and not fully awake. It had already taken him fifteen minutes to get out of the forest and back into the city. He was lucky that school wasn't very far from there; otherwise he would have been too late. If only he had asked for that driver…

Misaki sighed in relief as the large familiar building came into sight and sped up to reach his destination faster. To his surprise, he still had about ten minutes left until classes started. The brunet shrugged, feeling happy that he managed to get to school in time and without getting lost on his way.

As he entered the school, Misaki was greeted by some of his old classmates as he made his way to his classroom. It was unfortunate that most of his actual friends were not in the same class, but at least he could still see them during lunch break.

"Hey Misaki!"

"Eh?" Hearing his name, Misaki's eyes darted to the right and found his overexcited brother, who was waving energetically. Takahiro then dashed towards his brother with a large grin on his face.

"It's great to see you!" Takahiro exclaimed joyfully, "How have you been?"

"Nii-chan, it's only been a few days since I left home." This remark was accompanied by a sigh on Misaki's behalf. He should have known that Takahiro was already worrying about him, even if they had seen each other not too long ago.

Takahiro scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "It feels like it's been ages since I last saw you. Either way, how are you doing? Are you having a good time at the Usami residence?"

"Yes, they are taking good care of me. I actually feel a bit guilty for not doing anything useful for them."

"Don't say that," Takahiro replied, patting his brother's head, "I'm sure you can do something for them as well. Usami-san didn't hire you for nothing." Brown eyes saddened slightly as the older one retracted his hand. "To be perfectly honest, things are different without you. It's kind of quiet and empty at home…"

Noticing Takahiro's mood, Misaki flashed a reassuring smile. "I promise I will visit you every once in a while, but I need to ask permission first," he explained. Actually, Misaki had been so busy trying to get the Usami brothers to like him that he had almost forgotten about his own brother. He hadn't had the chance to miss Takahiro, but now that he saw his brother he realized that he did feel a bit lonely.

'No, there's no reason to feel that way,' Misaki told himself, 'The Usami family is taking good care of me and Haruhiko-san is very kind.'

While the young brunet was convincing himself, someone else joined their reunion. It wasn't until this person spoke that Misaki snapped out of his thoughts.

"Excuse me, but can I talk to Misaki for a moment?"

"S-senpai!" Misaki said in surprise as his eyes found Akihiko. The other only stared at him and then looked back at Takahiro, who was looking at him questioningly.

"Oh, right! Your surname is Usami," Takahiro pointed out, beginning to understand the situation, "Thank you for taking care of my little brother."

Akihiko shrugged disinterestedly. "It's not like I'm doing anything for him; the maids are the ones who make him food and do the laundry. Anyway, I would like to borrow your brother for a few minutes, if you don't mind."

Takahiro shook his head. "Not at all, but make sure to be back before the first class starts." He glanced at Misaki and smiled. "I'm glad we could have a small chat. Take care."

After saying their goodbyes, Akihiko led Misaki to a quiet corridor. The latter felt himself get nervous because of Akihiko's mysteriousness. He wasn't entirely sure why Akihiko wanted to get him alone. Stopping in his tracks, he waited for Akihiko to speak.

Finally, his senpai turned around and looked into his eyes, his emotions hidden perfectly. There was no telling what he was thinking of.

"I want to talk about what happened yesterday," Akihiko stated, digging his hands into his pockets, "As you may have noticed, I'm not a morning person. You should not try to wake me up early; I can wake up on my own."

Anger ran through Misaki's veins. "Are you saying this is my fault?! You could have reacted a bit more sensible instead of growling at me and bruising my wrist. How was I supposed to know you're so cranky in the morning?" The teen couldn't believe what he was hearing. If Akihiko had just apologized to him like any normal person he would have been fine with that, but this was ridiculous.

"That's not what I meant…"

"Well, it sounds like you're blaming me for all this," Misaki replied with a growl, "You know what, I'm wasting my time here. I thought you were going to tell me you're sorry, but it appears I was wrong."

Misaki took a step back and walked away slowly. Here he had good hopes, but thanks to Akihiko it had all gone down the drain in mere seconds. How the guy managed to get him down so easily was a mystery to the brunet.

A cold hand grasped Misaki's arm, gently pulling him back. "Don't go away." It almost sounded as though Akihiko was begging him to stay; the tone in his voice was so fragile all of a sudden. It was that one thing that made it impossible for Misaki to leave him, so instead he sighed and looked back.

"Senpai, it's only two minutes before—"

"I'm sorry," Akihiko said, cutting Misaki's protests short, "I know that my reaction was over the top, but I can't control myself when I've just woken up. It's like I'm not entirely aware of what I'm doing."

Taking aback by the apology, Misaki carefully withdrew his arm. "T-that doesn't make it okay for you to be so mean to me. If there's something bad about the way you act you should try to change that."

"Like how you are trying to change the way Haruhiko and I feel about one another?"

"Yes, something like that."

"You're very resolute and passionate about achieving your goals. I admire that." The corners of Akihiko's mouth curved upwards slightly as he praised the other.

Upon hearing the compliment, Misaki felt a blush dust his face. "I-it's nothing special, senpai. I'm sure you could do the same if you gave it your all." Taking out his cell phone, Misaki checked the time and realized he was getting late for class. "We should go now."

Akihiko followed the teen as he quickly walked away. The modest smile on his face didn't falter, as he was happy to have made up with Misaki. There were plenty of things he wanted to know about him. He wanted to know the boy who had been invited into his home so unexpectedly. Finally, he was able to set an important goal in his life.

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**Some Akihiko and Misaki bonding coming up. There will be both Misaki/Akihiko and Misaki/Haruhiko time in this story; otherwise it wouldn't make sense that this story is about those two couples.**

**Thank you for reading! Feedback or other thoughts are very welcome.**


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